Nats Enquirer

Ozzie, we hardly knew ya...

"After careful consideration following the disappointment of the 2012 season, we decided to dismiss Ozzie. Our managerial search begins immediately and our hope is that a new manager, along with roster improvements, will restore a winning culture."
(Larry Beinfest, via Miami Herald, 10/23/2012)

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/10/23/3063681/miami-marlins-manager-ozzie-guillen.html#storylink=cpy

Dear Ozzie: Thanks for the memories. Nats fans will always remember you for the Bryce Harper Pine Tar incident.

And so, that wreck of a franchise also known as the Miami Marlins fired Ozzie Guillen on Tuesday, thus depriving Nationals fans of a few more years of the sort of shenanigans Ozzie kicked off during the pine tar flap with Bryce Harper back on July 15.

Looks like the Marlins will pay Ozzie another $7.5 million to cover the remaining 3 years of the contract he signed last year. $7.5 million! So the Marlins are looking for a younger, cheaper, option now. Paging Manny Acta?

Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter.

Video: Cardinals discuss losing Game 7

Oh hey, that's Pete Bleeping Kozma.

And below, we present video of various Cardinals talking to the media after losing Game 7 of the NLCS to the Giants last night. It almost seemed like the Cardinals didn't want to be out there again last night, huh?

We're finally ready to move on now. How many days until pitchers and catchers report?

Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter.

About that Hunter Pence 3-hits-in-1-swing thing...

Because we're all Giants fans in NatsTown tonight, enjoy the GIF above, via MLBGIFs.com, in which Hunter Pence connected three times on the same swing for broken bat, 2 RBI double during a five run fourth for the Giants.

Good stuff - but not as good as that time back in August when Pence got laughed at by reporters for answering a question about what makes the Nationals so good with ""Pitching. Hitting. They're good at those."

Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter.

We're all Giants fans today...

Below, some MLB.com video of San Francisco Giants fans celebrating after the Giants beat the Cardinals last night to force NLCS Game 7.

Gee, it almost seemed like Chris Carpenter didn't want to be out there last night, and the Giants smelled blood. Deer in headlights! Deep breaths!

Go Giants.

Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter.

Oh, it's just Cutter Dykstra on the red carpet with Jamie Lynn Sigler, no biggie

We'd be remiss if we didn't mention a Nats minor leaguer on the E! News Thursday night. And there he was: Hagerstown's own Cutter Dykstra with his girlfriend Jamie Lynn Sigler on the red carpet for The 3rd Annual Autumn Party in LA benefiting the Children's Institute. Got it? E! News referred to Cutter as a Nat, and Jamie Lynn said this:

"This is my boyfriend. He's finally back from his season, so we haven't seen each other in a while."
(Jamie Lynn Sigler, via E-News, 10/18/2012)

Apparently Cutter is also rubbing elbows with celebrities like @LanceBass these days and was involved in some sort of reality TV/Big Brother weekened this weekend, which, with apologies to the guys in the Arizona Fall League, instantly makes him one of the most intriguing prospects in the Washington Nationals farm system in our book.

File under: Cutter Dykstra continues to make Mike Rizzo look like a genius for the Nyjer Morgan trade.

Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter.

Video of all 22 home runs Bryce Harper hit as a rookie this year

While you're sitting around waiting for 2013, might as well go back and watch all 22 of Bryce Harper's regular season home runs from 2012. Mr. Irrelevant posted this video weeks ago; we're just getting around to recognizing its awesomeness now.

Oh, and here's video of Harper's solo home run in NLDS Game 5.

Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter.

Pablo Sandoval crashing into Pete Kozma...

Up above, a GIF of Pablo Sandoval crashing into Pete F**king Kozma after Lance Lynn's throwing error in the fourth inning of NLCS Game 5. Gee, during his meltdown in the fourth, it seemed like Lynn didn't want to be out there, and the Giants smelled blood.

As @JWerthsBeard noted, you can add "Get plowed into by a Panda" to the list of #ThingsPeteKozmaDoes.

Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter.

Davey Johnson probably doesn't give a rat's ass that Randy Knorr would've walked Kozma

So Randy Knorr, Davey Johnson's bench coach, admitted during a radio interview in Canada (590 The Fan in Toronto) that his only regret about NLDS Game 5 was that Pete Kozma got to hit in the 9th with Jason Motte on deck. Via Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:

"The only thing I kick myself about was, we had a chance to walk Kozma to get Cruz up to hit to get Motte out of the game at a tie ballgame before Kozma got the two-out hit to drive in two runs. I kind of looked back at him and said, ‘What do you want to do here?’ I think the whole dugout was so shocked that they scored the two runs, anyway. Because we thought we had a good chance of winning. It happened so fast." (Randy Knorr, via Nationals Journal, 10/18/2012)

*sigh* Bet you a dollar Davey Johnnson still doesn't give a rat's ass.

Time to move on. Go Giants. Or Tigers.

(Screen cap of Randy Knorr via MASNSports.com video)

Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter.

#GRATITUDE

 

We'd be remiss if we didn't give a tip of the cap to the Lerner Family for the Letter of Gratitude they emailed out to Nationals fans this morning. Nice touch.

Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter.

Video of that Pete Kozma hit that never would've happened if Davey Johnson had just...

Don't know about you, but we're moving into the "Acceptance" phase. Slowly. Who cares if Davey Johnson knew Jason Motte was on deck with Pete Kozma at the plate in the 9th inning of a 7-7 game and decided not to intentionally walk Kozma? Here, via Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post:

Johnson said he considered walking Kozma. In the end, he believed his best chance lay with letting Storen — who had allowed two runs in his previous 24 innings — face the Cardinals’ No. 8 hitter. Johnson said Storen had simply put the game in question when he walked Yadier Molina and David Freese with two outs.

“But if right-on-right and we can’t get out the eight-hole hitter …” Johnson said. “Do I want to put him in a situation where he faces Cruz? I could have done that. But I wanted to give him the opportunity to make pitchers’ pitches, which I do all year. But unfortunately, early in the count, he gave up a hit to right. How many guys — here’s my closer, who’s death on right-handers, and he’s got a base open. He didn’t execute. (via Nationals Journal, 10/16/2012)

Anyway, we're finally ready to re-watch Kozma's 2-out 9th inning double. There it is above.

Time to move on.

(Screencap of Motte with his bat via MLB.com)

Befriend Nats Enquirer on Facebook. Follow on Twitter.